I couldn't find a better place to put this so I posted the HSLDA alert here. This bill the Governor Kempthorne signed is good for Idaho home schoolers. It gives us protectect from over zealous social workers coming into our homes.

The strategy worked. The child welfare reforms we advocated were not identified as homeschool issues and were not attacked as being partisan bills. Rep. Janice McGeachin was able to pass Senate Bill 1240 through both chambers and it was signed by Governor Kempthorne on
April 11, 2005.

No doubt many legislators did not realize the importance of these amendments. They will give HSLDA and innocent families throughout Idaho leverage to keep social workers out of their homes.

The bill requires child protective services workers to be trained in their duty to protect the statutory and constitutional rights of those
they are investigating, and requires child protective services personnel to advise individuals subject to a child abuse and neglect investigation of the complaint or allegation made against them.

HSLDA deals with cases on a daily basis where a social worker is investigating an innocent homeschool family because of false allegations. These tips, often supplied by those holding a grudge against home education, are often investigated aggressively. Social workers frequently demand to conduct physical inspections of
homeschool children or to interview very young children outside the presence of their parents.

This law will keep social workers properly chained bythe Constitution and they will be liable for making certain they respect the parental and Fourth Amendment rights of families.

HSLDA thanks attorney Barry Peters of the Idaho Home School Coalition who worked tirelessly to guide this bill into law.

BACKGROUND

The passage of this bill was truly a miracle. Although the bill passed the house and senate unanimously, the governor, for political reasons, vetoed the bill. It looked as if the bill was dead for the year. However, on the last couple of days of the session, instead of overriding the governor's veto, the republican controlled legislature
simply re-introduced our bill as a new senate bill. It passed both houses and has been signed by the governor as S.B. 1240. We believe our bill (S.B. 1240) was literally the last bill considered before the legislature adjourned.

The language from this bill originates from the provisions we were able to pass into federal law.

On June 25, 2003, President George W. Bush signed the Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2003 (S.342). HSLDA was able to attach the same two provisions outlined above that will protect families during the child investigative process.

This is the most significant reform of social worker investigations in the last decade.

It is important to pass this legislation at the state level to guarantee that congressional intent is implemented properly and completely. The Federal Department of Heath and Human Services has stated to us that the most efficient and effective implementation of
these provisions is to have them codified at the state level.

The citizens of Idaho will now be better protected from over zealous social workers.

Sincerely,

Chris Klicka
HSLDA Senior Counsel

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